HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7 review: Thinner, lighter, but still shy of greatness
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central
Business concern laptops are different from consumer and prosumer models, but those lines have blurred over the concluding few years. The EliteBook line, specifically the 1000 series, is HP's range of premium enterprise-level Ultrabooks that compete with Dell'due south Breadth and Lenovo'south famous ThinkPad line.
The HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7 is, as the name implies, the seventh generation of this 14-inch convertible PC. It supports inking, optional 4G LTE, multiple brandish configurations, and a bevy of enterprise-ready security software.
I've e'er been a fan of the EliteBook x360 1040, so beingness able to utilize the G7 with built in 4G LTE for the last calendar month has been a smash. There's a lot to similar here, but HP tin also improve a few things for next year'due south G8 model. Still, if I had to take one laptop with me, the EliteBook x360 1040 would exist at the top of my list due to its robustness.
Here are all the things the EliteBook x360 1040 G7 is excellent at, and where HP tin arrive fifty-fifty nicer.
Premium business experience
HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7
From $1,650 at HP
Bottom line: HP'southward refreshed summit-tier business laptop continues to get thinner, lighter, and just accommodating amend for tardily 2022 with the G7. With options for 4G LTE, smaller display bezels, and a better-integrated keyboard, this do-it-all convertible not merely looks swell but is congenital tough too. However, waiting for Intel 11th Gen Intel CPUs may be worth it, and HP can still gear up a few things to brand this laptop perfect.
Pros:
- Cute, sturdy all-metal chassis
- Outstanding keyboard and trackpad
- Impressive audio for enterprise
- New presence-aware tech is neat
- Options for 4G LTE and pen
Cons:
- Still sixteen:nine
- Weak pen magnets
- Weird Air conditioning behavior
- Fans nonetheless have a slight whistle on loftier
What y'all get
HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7 specs and features
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Fundamental
The EliteBook x360 1040 G7 is a 14-inch premium convertible laptop. HP besides offers a smaller 13-inch 1 (EliteBook x360 1030) and an 800-series that is ameliorate suited for non-executive level employees.
HP offers a vast array of configuration options, which is too long to listing here. But in that location are preferences for Tile integration (device tracking), 4G LTE (5G is expected later), an NFC module, up to 2TB of storage, Wacom AES ii.0 Pen, and displays from matte total HD to Certain View Reverberate with one thousand nits of brightness up to 4K UHD with touch.
Pricing begins higher due to information technology being aimed at enterprise and starts at $1,650, maxing out well over $3,100.
HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7
| Category | HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7 |
|---|---|
| Operating Organisation | Windows 10 Pro |
| Display | 14-inch FHD IPS, m nits, bear upon, Sure View privacy screen 14-inch UHD HDR400 IPS, 550 nits, touch 14-inch FHD IPS, 400 nits, bear on |
| Processor | 10th Gen Intel Core i5 and i7 processors (U serial) with optional vPro Six cores |
| Graphics | Integrated Intel Premium UHD graphics |
| Memory | 32GB LPDDR4-2933 |
| Storage | Up to 2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD |
| Camera | 720p HD + IR photographic camera |
| Security | Fingerprint sensor IR photographic camera HP Certain View Reverberate (optional) HP Security Suite |
| Connectivity | Intel AX201 Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) Bluetooth v Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 5G Modem Intel XMM 7360 LTE-Avant-garde Congenital-in Tile module |
| Ports | 2x USB 3.1 Blazon-C west/ Thunderbolt 2x USB three.ane Gen 1 (charging) 1x headphone/mic combo 1x HDMI ane.4 |
| Sound | Audio past Bang & Olufsen Premium dual stereo speakers with discrete amplifiers 4 Multi Array microphone |
| Battery | 54Wh or 78.5Wh |
| Dimensions | 31.93 ten twenty.27 x 1.66 cm; 12.57 x 7.98 x 0.65 in |
| Weight | Starting at 1.32 kg (two.ix lb) |
For 2022, the G7 model does not make massive shifts in pattern and execution, instead bringing a multitude of incremental, but noteworthy changes, including:
- Smaller display bezels on all four sides
- Six percentage smaller and two per centum lighter than G6
- New HP Presence Aware Time-of-Flying (TOF) ability
- New AI Racket Reduction for microphones
- Streamlined keyboard with HP Shutter, fingerprint reader, and acme power button
- Enhancements to Ability Slider
- Intel tenth Gen with vPro
- Improved thermals with 17 percentage thinner fan blades and new Fan Algorithm ii.0
For processors, HP offers an i5-10210U, i5-10310U, i7-10610U, i7-10710U, or i7-10810U. These are interesting processors, as they are tenth Gen but also 15-watt (up to 25W) 6-core (12 threads) instead of the typical Ultrabook CPU with quad-core (8 threads).
Excellent height-firing speakers and keyboard define the EliteBook x360 1040 G7. Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Key
HP'south blueprint language on the EliteBook series is very consistent. The all-silver chassis is resistant to staining from alcohol to lipstick and crayon while likewise being rugged, surviving drops and various damage tests from everyday usage. The silver also hides fingerprints, which is why I prefer information technology over black or blueish laptops.
Ports are robust with ii Type-C (Thunderbolt iii), full HDMI, Type-A on the correct side, and another Type-A and SIM/Security slots on the left with a headphone jack. It's not a bad layout, but I would take preferred a Type-C on each side.
HP recently ditched the notched hat for an improved angled one. The modification means you can take hold of the cover from any point and open up it one-handed. While non as fancy as HP'due south prosumer Spectre series, yous can see some hints of gem-cut and angled designs and polished edges for some squeamish flair.
Overall, the EliteBook x360 1040 G7 is a handsome looking laptop that tin can also take some abuse.
It knows y'all are there
EliteBook x360 1040 G7 display and web camera
The G7 has thinner bezels and a color-authentic full HD brandish that won't kill your battery. Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central
I am using a full HD, not-matte affect display (400 nits of brightness) for this review. That's at the adequate/normal range for screen effulgence, where it'll exist good enough for most use cases and doesn't button boundaries. HP offers this display for one reason: battery life. Pushing higher brightness (or even resolution) takes a massive hit on the longevity of the laptop.
Of grade, if you want 4K or something with Certain View Reflect (PDF for security with up to i,000 nits of effulgence, that's a possibility as well.
The EliteBook x360 1040's brandish bezels jump from 83 percentage screen-to-body-ratio in the G6 to 89 percent in the new G7, including a 21 pct thinner mentum. It looks mode better.
Colour accuracy is terrific, considering this is one of the lower-tier options. In my measurements, sRGB was 99 percent, with AdobeRGB at 76 percentage, and DCI-P3 at 78 percentage. Those numbers are in line with other premium laptops for consumers and enterprises.
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Key
Brightness at zero percent on the slider is 19.5 nits, and the display peaks at 416 nits, which is a tad higher than the rated 400 nits for this screen option. The contrast ratio peaks at 75 pct screen brightness (165 nits) with a 1710:one ratio.
Overall, the full HD display is first-class. Viewing angles, color, contrast, and brightness are all satisfying to use, whether it is running an Excel file or watching a movie.
The camera falls in line with this laptop grade with wide viewing angles, proficient microphones, and decent low-lite performance. The new built-in AI support to filter out background noise works well for most situations. The camera is just 720P, just for meetings and video chat, it gets the job washed.
HP Sure Shutter puts an opaque white cover over the camera with a single keypress. It's brilliant. Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Cardinal
Most excitingly, HP now ships this laptop with a time-of-flying (TOF) sensor nearly the camera. That sensor is used for HP Presence Aware, which is something that Dell is doing besides. When enabled, the sensor detects your physical presence, keeps the screen on, and unlocks the computer. However, if y'all walk abroad, the computer "knows" yous are non there and auto-locks the display, going into standby within a few seconds. When you lot return, the laptop again "knows" you are there and will power on the screen and employ Windows Hi to log y'all into Windows, all completely hands-free. It'southward wild.
This laptop "knows" when you are in front of it or walk away.
The TOF sensor means the laptop does not need to apply the photographic camera for such a feature, which safeguards privacy (no one wants an always-on camera) and preserves battery life. HP Presence Aware even works when the camera is disabled via HP Sure Shutter (more on that below).
For the most part, HP Presence Aware worked exceptionally well. On rare occasions, it would dim and then lock the screen when I was reading, then it is non perfect, but these were anomalies and not the norm. You can, of course, disable the characteristic altogether.
A great keyboard
EliteBook x360 1040 G7 keyboard, trackpad, and sound
I practice love this keyboard. Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Cardinal
While Lenovo garners many fans for its keyboards, I prefer HP's style, which is a bit stiffer, with square keys and a dainty bounce back. The EliteBook x360 1040 G7 is not every bit fantastic as HP's Spectre series, but it is shut. The keys accept a very satisfying motion and a matte feel that lets your tips grip them with ease.
The keys are backlit, as expected, and contrast very well with the matte black design.
HP has made some welcomed changes to the keyboard layout for G7, too. For instance, there's no more than side ability button, which thankfully is finally going away on virtually laptops. Instead, the power button is found in the top row with a tiny white LED to find it easily. There is a fingerprint reader false push button as well, but it's a scrap weird. Most times, a fingerprint reader that is amongst keys does not depress, even so this one does. There is no signal to it, and HP doesn't practise this on Spectre, so it's an odd design choice.
There is now a key for HP Sure Shutter. HP Certain Shutter is a trick whereby the webcam gets physically obscured by a discernible white cover to ensure privacy. No more record over the lens every bit a single button printing blocks the cam with a shutter behind the brandish glass. HP has been rolling this out beyond Spectre and EliteBook, and it'south awesome.
There is as well a button to mute the mic, again, for privacy. When both the mic and camera buttons are engaged, small orange LEDs let yous know that they are enabled. In a earth where people are rightly concerned with privacy, this is some artistic innovation.
The trackpad is quite large, maximizing all the space it can on the deck. It uses Microsoft Precision drivers, is uncommonly polish, does non rattle, and has a satisfying click.
HP knows that to have an excellent 2-in-1 feel, yous cannot just accept two speakers. Instead, you need two speakers on the summit deck for laptop mode and two more than on the bottom for tablet or presentation configurations. For a business laptop, this EliteBook punches higher up its weight. Sound is splendid with a satisfactory, robust sound with expert bass and richness, something that Lenovo struggles with on its ThinkPad line. This kind of sound powered by Bang & Olufsen hardware would be welcomed on any prosumer Ultrabook, so it is dainty to see information technology hither.
Bang-up
EliteBook x360 1040 G7 ability, benchmarks, and battery
The G7 needs Intel vPro, hence why it just has 10th Gen for now. Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Cardinal
HP launched the EliteBook x360 1040 G7 with Intel 10th Gen processors. I would accept preferred 11th Gen, merely this is a concern laptop; therefore, it needs Intel vPro support. But currently, there are no 11th Gen Intel processors with vPro. Those chips are coming in early 2022, so information technology makes sense HP launches with what is bachelor.
I recollect 11th Gen in this laptop will make a massive difference, and it is worth the expect.
Performance is quite good from the half-dozen-cadre Core i7, although y'all can come across how an 11th Gen quad-core hands bests it (and gets better battery life with less oestrus). That ability, though, is enough for this laptop's target audition.
HP makes enhancements to the Windows Ability Slider, letting the processor max out fifty-fifty higher than standard Windows. The opposite is true for battery life. I capeesh HP's engineering feat here equally it gives a bit more flexibility to this laptop.
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central
4G LTE performance from the Intel XMM 7360 LTE-Advanced (Cat 9) broadband card is exceptional. When HP does wireless wide expanse network (WWAN), it does it right, by which I mean it puts the arrangement antenna at the top of the hat instead of the swivel area. The college positioning gives ameliorate throughput and sustained functioning for LTE, Bluetooth 5, and Wi-Fi (Intel AX201 Wi-Fi vi 2x2). While yous get a ceramic strip on the lid for the reception, it doesn't look bad, and the radios' reliable performance is worth it.
Information technology's understandable why there is only Intel tenth Gen hither, but 11th Gen would exist a large comeback.
Battery life is quite good. Specifically, it is all-twenty-four hours, with my average hovering but over nine hours and 37 minutes using Windows Battery Report. Some days it could superlative at over 11 hours, while other days, it maxed at near viii hours.
Storage is also outstanding. The 512GB Samsung PM981a yielded a blazing 3,436 MB/southward for sequential read and 2,983 MB/s for sequential write, matching Samsung's official specifications.
Let us talk about some weird issues. For some reason, HP's EliteBooks like to stay on when plugged in via Air-conditioning for ability. HP'south default power profile also does not lock Windows when the chapeau is airtight. Users tin can change that, of course, but this seems like a security flaw.
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central
Some other odd behavior, when plugged in, is the fans stay on for a few minutes. It does not matter if the laptop is on the floor, its side, or even upside downward. The fans will continue to run at a medium speed. Indeed, the fans ramp up when the chapeau is closed. I take no idea why and I but come across this with EliteBooks.
The fans are quieter with G7 compared to G6, as well, thanks to 17 percent thinner fan blades and HP's new fan algorithm "ii.0." The fans never get annoying, but HP'southward Spectre engineers have done a better job of making quieter fans, and I would similar to meet that hardware jump to EliteBook.
Looking at the competition
EliteBook x360 1040 G7 Alternatives
The Dell Breadth 9510, which now offers optional 5G (or 4G LTE), is a notable alternative to this EliteBook. It'southward a convertible laptop with a larger fifteen-inch screen but is the same size as most 14-inch Ultrabooks. Information technology's a bit heavier, merely battery life should be longer thanks to it being Intel Project Athena-verified. It supports inking, has dozens of configurations, has the same number of ports, quad speakers, and up to a massive 88 WHr battery. Information technology also has an optional TOF sensor.
Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Yoga is also trendy considering it does some things differently. You become a siloed pen for inking, and so you never lose it. You besides get like ports, 4G LTE options, and Lenovo'south legendary keyboard and TrackPoint. The audio is not equally impressive, and the webcam isn't so hot. Plus, you don't get all the absurd new toys similar the TOF sensor.
While I firmly believe 14-inch laptops are the ideal size for working more prolonged periods, if you prefer something a bit smaller, HP'due south EliteBook x360 1030 delivers a similar blueprint, features, and options, just with a smaller 13.three-inch display.
You can run across our recommendations for more ideas for All-time Concern Laptops 2022.
Corking design, some minor quirks
EliteBook x360 1040 G7 mostly gets it right
Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Primal
Who it'due south for
- If you demand a premium enterprise laptop with vPro
- You need a convertible PC with LTE and inking
- Y'all want a great keyboard and practiced bombardment life
- You want a rugged ii-in-1 with terrific sound
Who information technology isn't for
- You lot're a consumer looking for a groovy laptop
- You demand 5G or even more battery life
- Y'all're on a tight budget
Confession: betwixt Dell'southward Latitude series and Lenovo's ThinkPads, I prefer EliteBooks due to the keyboard and overall design. I think HP makes laptops that wait and experience amend than the other 2. The G7's silver chassis never needs cleaning, is symmetrical, make clean, and looks fabulous. Sound is a stunner, and inking is very polish cheers to HP'southward Wacom AES 2.0 pen.
The lesser line is I dear working on the G7, and the added LTE makes it fifty-fifty more than useful during travel.
The EliteBook x360 1040 gets so much right, simply it tin as well exist much better.
But in that location are a few things well-nigh the EliteBook x360 1040 G7 that hold it from greatness. The biggest one is when the laptop is on Air-conditioning ability, the fans proceed running for a few minutes later the lid is airtight. Peradventure this is due to the arrangement keeping absurd during fast charging, only it is still ridiculous. As I type this, the G7 is recharging and running its fans on medium to high.
Another small niggle is HP's excellent pen. It recharges by Type-C, and it works very well with tilt. It feels nice (it'due south light since no removable bombardment), and HP includes extra nibs. But the pen magnet is super weak. While the pen tin attach to the left side of the G7, it's a very 'meh' experience. I don't know why HP can't put some stiff magnets in information technology akin to Surface Pen.
I accept already noted Intel's 10th Gen processors are a minor bump, whereas 11th Gen is major. Throw in 11th Gen with vPro, and this laptop will be even amend. Same with adding support for 5G.
I'll also ding HP for the 16:nine aspect instead of 16:10, which is much better. Not only practice you get a taller display for viewing the web and documents, but information technology extends the keyboard deck, assuasive an even larger trackpad. It'due south simply more comfortable when working. To be fair, HP is at the whim of LG, Samsung, and other display manufacturers to mass-produce 16:10 panels including all the options HP needs (total HD, 4K, and Sure View). Nonetheless, the EliteBook x360 1040 would be a vastly amend laptop if it were xvi:10.
Despite these flaws, though, the EliteBook x360 1040 G7 gets a lot right. The wireless radio performance, terrific keyboard and trackpad, outstanding audio, that smashing TOF sensor, and HP's superb enterprise-level security software makes it hard to ignore. For those reasons, I'll stick with the G7. But HP, let your Spectre team have a crack at the EliteBook line, add together some quieter fans, and address the rest of my issues, and you'll have the best enterprise laptop around.
So shut to greatness
HP EliteBook x360 1040 G7
Lesser line: HP's refreshed top-tier business laptop continues to get thinner, lighter, and just accommodating better for late 2022 with the G7. With options for 4G LTE, smaller display bezels, and a better-integrated keyboard, this do-it-all convertible not only looks great but is built tough too. However, waiting for Intel 11th Gen may be worth it, and HP tin yet fix a few things to make this laptop perfect.
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